New South Wales (NSW) Transport Minister Jo Haylen has apologised for misusing her ministerial driver to attend a private lunch with friends over the Australia Day weekend, costing taxpayers $750.

Advertisment

“I made the wrong decision,” Haylen acknowledged she made a mistake and confirmed she would repay the money for the 13-hour, 446km trip to the Hunter Valley.

Asked why she didn’t just book an Uber, the minister told reporters: “In retrospect, I should have.”

Also read | Mexico fires back at US over cartel alliance accusation

Advertisment

Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson also attended the trip

According to the logbook, the trip started on Jan 25 at 8 am and ended at 8.50 pm and was coded as a “business trip during working day”.

For the trip, which was also attended by Housing and Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson, the driver took a 13-hour trip from Sydney to the minister’s holiday house, before driving them to a separate jaunt at the Brokenwood winery for a three-hour lunch.

Advertisment

While Jackson was on the trip, she was not involved in organising the ministerial driver. Haylen said she alone took full responsibility.

After picking up the ministers at the holiday house in Caves Beach, south of Newcastle, the driver then took them to the Brokenwood Estate, where the set menu is $105 per person before wines are paired.

Also read | Flight data of Washington mid-air collision raises more questions as discrepancies arise

Opposition demands resignation

According to the NSW rules, government ministers and the opposition leader are granted the use of a ministerial vehicle and driver. The vehicles can be used for both public and private purposes, and government sources were insisting on Sunday that no policies had been breached by the trip. 

While the government insists no rules were broken on the trip, opposition leader Mark Speakman demanded their resignation for what he called a clear misuse of public money. “This shows a contempt for the taxpayer,” he said.

While Haylen said she would not resign over the issue, Minns described her use of the ministerial vehicle as “clearly unacceptable” and said he had ordered the NSW Cabinet Office to review the guidelines for drivers “so this can’t happen again”. “It’s not on for drivers to be used in this way,” he said.

However, in a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Premier and Cabinet said the driver’s shift had not exceeded 12 hours because of the inclusion of “mandatory breaks”.

(With inputs from agencies)